Midnight Musings
by The Dude Slayer
Summary: Late one night on the Yagami, Kiyone has time to reflect on the past and her place within her new family


Midnight Musings  
The Dude Slayer  
The night cycle has been running on the ship for a number of   
hours. Almost everyone is asleep on the Yagami, I believe Washu,   
Katsuhito, and myself are the only ones still awake.  
We've been traveling for what seems like ages. The trip from   
Earth to Jurai is not a very long one, unless you're fugitives.   
Everyone has been a little tense over the past few days, especially   
Ayeka. The princess is still upset with Ryoko for robbing that Jurai   
bank a few days ago.  
I'm sitting on the bridge piloting my ship, Mihoshi is to my   
right in the co-pilot's chair. As always my ditzy partner's narcolepsy   
has kicked in, and she's fast asleep. Narcolepsy is the only   
explanation I have for how she can seemingly go to sleep anywhere in   
any situation.  
  
Ever since coming to Earth I've taken a bit more notice of the   
things around me, specifically my surrogate family.  
Lord Masaki Katsuhito, or Jurai Yosho, is the head of our family.   
Katsuhito is the eldest one among us, at times he has been a great   
spiritual leader, and an infinite source of knowledge that he only   
provides when he sees fit. Katsuhito is big on mysteries, but his   
biggest one is his identity, which I don't think he knows that I know.  
Masaki Noboyuki is the provider of the family. A hard working   
widower. He still grieves over the loss of his wife Masaki Achika. An   
out and out pervert of the highest order, or so he seems. I believe   
it's all an act so that he keeps women from embracing him, it's his way   
of continuing to stay close to his wife.  
Princess Jurai Sasami is our family's mother. She cooks as   
though she were a chef in a five-star restaurant, she cleans   
everything, and carries the wisdom of a woman hundreds of years her   
elder. This knowledge belies her childish appearance, forcing me to   
wonder if there's not something the young princess might be hiding.  
Hibiki Washu, also known as "Little" Washu. The greatest   
scientific mind in the universe, I can't argue with this title, she's   
earned it. Much like Sasami, Washu has a child-like appearance that   
hides her true intellect. Someday she and I will have to discuss why   
that is.  
I bank the Yagami to the starboard side slightly. We've just   
entered an asteroid field and the last thing I need is for my ship to   
be pummeled full of holes by space debris. I'll have to make sure to   
thank Washu next time I see her, the repairs she did to the engines   
have been amazing. I don't know what we'd do without her.  
The asteroids quickly fall into the emptiness of space behind us.   
Gladly I lean back in my chair and begin to relax again. Ever so   
slightly I feel my mind return to its former musings. The Masaki   
"family," though we're not related at all we seem to be a family of   
sorts. I grin slightly at that thought, it's not a bad family.  
Ryoko. A former space pirate, exuberant source of energy, pain   
in the ass, reliable, loyal... to find all the things that it take to   
explain Ryoko I would need a dictionary and a thesaurus. She's as   
loyal as anyone I've ever met, she'll stand up for anything that she   
deeply believes in, and for those she cares for...there's nothing she   
wouldn't do. In the name of love Ryoko would do anything and   
everything for the one she loves.  
First Princess of Jurai, Jurai Ayeka is much the same as Ryoko.   
Though somewhat shy and demure Sasami's big sister finds herself as   
Ryoko's competition in the way of love. I do believe Ayeka carries   
some idea of love for her brother Yosho's grandson I think she's more   
interested in his position as next in line for emperor of Jurai. The   
princess has been raised to be a social climber, so it's not   
unexpected. I think she sees Ryoko as an obstacle in her progress to   
Empress than as competition for the heart of their "beloved."  
  
  
I hear snoring. Carefully I turn my head to the right. Mihoshi   
is still asleep. Dead to the world, as the Earther's say. She sleeps   
more than any person I've ever seen. She also eats enough food the   
feed a platoon of the Jurai army.  
I have to admit when she's asleep like this I almost, ALMOST,   
don't mind having her around. Right now she's doing nothing to harm my   
career, she's not breaking anything, she's not eating everyone in the   
universe out of house and home...right now, she's asleep and I don't   
mind that. Mihoshi may get on my nerves at times, more often that I   
ever thought possible, but there are times when her dumb luck is so   
useful that I wouldn't have anyone else watching my back.  
If loyalty, friendship, and commitment were mandatory for all GP   
officers, then everyone back at the Academy could take lessons from   
Mihoshi. No matter how much I yell, how often I threaten, and how   
annoying she gets, Mihoshi is always by my side as a friend. And   
sometimes I forget that that's all I need.  
  
Of course I'm never telling her that. I'd still like to get   
promoted to Headquarters someday. And if Mihoshi knew I'd said that   
she'd find a way to keep me by her side, forever.  
I gently reach over and pick up Ryo-oh-ki. The brown cabbit   
purrs as I place her in my lap. Absentmindedly I pet the cute   
fuzzball. She seems to have a calming effect on whoever is in contact   
with her. I think I remember Washu mentioning something like that   
once. That would explain why Sasami is so calm and rational whenever   
everyone else is loosing their tops, seeing as the cabbit is with her   
almost every moment of the day and night.  
  
I know that the only person left in the family that hasn't   
entered my mind yet is the one that seems most confusing. Masaki   
Tenchi. Noboyuki's son, Katsuhito's grandson, and heir to the Jurai   
throne, if he wants it.  
Tenchi is something of an enigma. He has five women, and a girl,   
that live in his house, a dream come true for almost any man, two women   
that seem to love him unconditionally, and seemingly he is incapable of   
reciprocating these feelings. I understand that Tenchi is overwhelmed,   
easily understood seeing as Earth is uncultured in the ways of the   
universe.  
Tenchi is just puzzling though. He's a great warrior that seems   
to find the good in everyone, a compassionate young man that draws   
confidence and strength from those around him, and a born leader   
willing to protect those he cares for with his life. Yet at the same   
time he is a hormonal teenager that refuses the advances of both Ayeka   
and Ryoko, a young man that's seen more than anyone on his planet ever   
may, and a caring father figure.  
From the moment that I met Tenchi I knew that he was confusing,   
but as I grew to know and understand him he continues to find more and   
more ways to confuse me. But as I watched the last daily fight between   
Ryoko and Ayeka I saw in Tenchi something I hadn't seen before.  
Tenchi felt pain as he watched the pair fighting. A pain that   
I'd noticed before but paid no heed.  
The doors to Yagami's bridge swoosh open, and I spin my chair   
around to look upon the intruder. "Tenchi-san," I spurt out a bit   
surprised. "What are you doing up? It's," I checked Yagami's   
chronometer, "02:20. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"  
Tenchi smiled gently at me, a smile that he gave us all. "Yes,   
but so should you."  
I grin back at the young prince. "As much as I would enjoy that,   
I can't. Someone has to pilot the Yagami, and I can't trust Mihoshi to   
do that, obviously." A tiny bit of venom seeped out in my voice as I   
spoke of my partner.  
Tenchi kneeled before me, and gently placed his hands on my   
shoulders, smiling all the time. "Kiyone-chan. It's alright. I think   
Yagami can fly itself for a few hours. We all need sleep, you more   
than any of us. If you keep running yourself this hard, you'll be of   
no use when we get to Jurai."  
Dammit, he's doing it again. He's caring about my health while   
still worrying about the mission ahead of us. He's going to make quite   
an emperor someday. With the power of Jurai backing him up, Tenchi   
will most likely bring a much needed peace to the universe.  
"You're right Tenchi-sama. Let me program in a course and I'll   
be off to bed." I quickly turned my back on him and began punching in   
the coordinates of the refueling asteroid we're headed for. At our   
current speed we should be there by mid-afternoon tomorrow.  
"So, Tenchi-sama, you didn't answer my question. What are you   
still doing up at this hour?" I'm still not looking at him, the   
console in front of me is brightly lit up and controlling the majority   
of my attention.  
  
I can hear Tenchi breathing behind me; it seems like he's trying   
to come up with a good answer to a simple question. I can hear him   
shifting his weight between his left foot and his right. He's probably   
fidgeting as he thinks up an answer.  
"Well...Grandpa and I were training earlier. He wants me to   
master the Jurai Knights' techniques for when I take on Yosho.   
Grandfather believes that I'll be the one to take him on."  
Tenchi's gentle hand reaches out to mine. Carefully, gently, he   
wraps his strong, delicate fingers around mine. Casually he helps me   
from my command chair and off the bridge. I take a fleeting glimpse   
over my shoulder, my long teal hair coloring my view of out of the main   
window.  
He's leading me down the hall to my living quarters, as he has   
almost every night since we left Earth. If this trip has done anything   
it's brought Tenchi-sama and myself closer than before. There's   
something about Tenchi that's different than the other men that have   
been in my life, but whatever it is it's not what the other girls see   
in him.  
  
I open the door to my room and step over the threshold. As usual   
we're completely silent. If Ryoko and Ayeka knew what we were doing, I   
shudder to think of what would happen. Whatever they come up with, I'm   
pretty sure it will end with my family receiving a GP flag and that   
long-awaited promotion I've been waiting for.  
I look over my shoulder to see Tenchi standing in the hall behind   
me. He's worried, it's obviously written all across his face. I'll   
give him all the time he needs, but I'm going to bed. Hopefully   
tonight...he'll follow me. A devilish little grin crosses my lips as I   
think of Tenchi in my bed.  
If not tonight, soon enough. I know the way to Jurai from Earth   
is a short trip...but that's why I'm taking the long way around.   
Hopefully Tenchi will figure it out soon enough.  
Washu sat in the kitchen with Katsuhito. A steaming pot of tea   
sat between the pair. Off to the side a viewscreen showed the living   
quarters, currently Tenchi and Kiyone walking down the hall. Tenchi's   
arm was wrapped casually around Kiyone's waist, while Kiyone's head   
rested on Tenchi's shoulder.  
Washu grinned an evil grin that only a kawaii child like herself   
could. Her kawaii-evil smile was aimed at the gray-haired man sitting   
across from her. "Pay up honorable grandfather. I told you, Kiyone   
was the one that got Tenchi."  
Katsuhito reached into his pocket and withdrew a 1000-Yen note   
and handed it to the pink-haired scientist before him. "I still   
believe Ryoko has a chance to gain Tenchi's affection."  
Washu flashed another sinister grin at the old priest. "My   
daughter may still win, but for right now Kiyone has his attention.   
our bet was who would get to him first."  
Katsuhito nodded gently. "Quite true Miss Washu. Quite true."  
*Chibi Dude Slayer does drunken author's jig*  
  
*Chibi Dude Slayer falls on his face. A bottle of imported   
Johnny Walker Gold Label rolls across the stage*  
  
*The Dude Slayer walks onstage, his obsidian duster flapping in   
the non-existent breeze*  
*The Dude Slayer stops at the podium in the middle of the stage.   
With an air of regality and supremacy he straightens a small pile of   
papers before him*  
  
TDS: First, let me apologize for my Chibi's behavior. The past   
few months have been strenuous around the Archieve. College is   
draining much of the energy from myself and Vampboy. Our Chibis have   
been left in charge of the Archieve, not the greatest idea I've ever   
had, but it's going to have to work for now.  
Second, allow me to apologize for this fanfic. I am not a   
Tenchi-Kiyone fan, never have been, never will be. I find the idea of   
Kiyone falling in love with Tenchi so improbable that it's laughable.   
Kiyone is not a woman that needs a man, lest of all one as indecisive   
and...dimwitted as Tenchi.  
As I was writing this the story just seemed to take on a   
life of it's own. Tenchi and Kiyone becoming a couple was NEVER my   
plan. It just happened.  
Next, let me say that under no circumstances do I own any   
character mentioned within this story. Though I wouldn't mind owning   
Kiyone. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLL. She's a hottie!  
  
*A large brick fly at TDS's head from off screen*  
  
VB: *off camera* DUUUDE!!! This is an author notes, not a   
personals ad! Get your act together!  
  
TDS: *straightens duster, clears throat* You're right, bro.   
Domo. Have I missed anything. Disclaimer, apologies, *snaps fingers*   
OH YEAH! Contacts.  
You can contact me at the_dude_slayer@yahoo.com   
You can find this and my other stories at   
  
  
Well, until next time  
Ja Ne. 


End file.
